Packaging including enhanced sealing of uncoated medical-grade spunbounded olefin substrates

Abstract

A package for containing sterile packed items is formed from the joining of a first sheet of material and a second sheet of material. The package formed comprises a cavity for containing at least one item, a first group of sealing elements and a second set of sealing elements. The two groups of sealing elements have relative size(s), shape(s) and placement(s) to provide a desired level of seal and mechanical cohesion while reducing fiber tear out that could contaminate the contained items.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A package comprising: 
 a first sheet of a plastic material;    a second sheet of a non-paper material;    a cavity formed by joining said first sheet and said second sheet, said cavity capable of receiving and containing one or more items; and    at least one joined region formed by joining said first sheet and said second sheet;    said at least one joined region including a first group of sealing elements and a second group of sealing elements.    
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are the same material.  
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are different.  
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the non-paper material is at least one olefin.  
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one olefin is a polyolefin.  
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the polyolefin is spunbounded.  
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one olefin is uncoated.  
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one olefin is Tyvek™ 2FS™.  
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet and the second sheet are joined via sealing.  
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one joined region substantially surrounds the cavity.  
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein said first group of sealing elements includes at least two first sealing elements and said second group of sealing elements includes at least two second sealing elements.  
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two first sealing elements are uniformly dispersed on the at least one joined region.  
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least first two sealing elements have relatively small dimensions when compared with the at least two second sealing elements.  
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two second sealing elements are uniformly dispersed on the at least one joined region.  
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two second sealing elements are positioned on the at least one joined region at an at least one angle with respect to an expected direction of pull associated with peeling apart the first sheet and the second sheet.  
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two first sealing elements and the at least two second sealing elements overlap on the at least one joined region.  
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two first sealing elements and the at least two second sealing elements do not overlap on the at least one joined region.  
     
     
         18 . A package comprising: 
 a first sheet of a plastic material;    a second sheet of least one spunbounded polyolefin;    a cavity formed by joining said first sheet and said second sheet, said cavity capable of receiving and containing one or more items; and    at least one joined region formed by joining said first sheet and said second sheet;    said at least one joined region including a first group of sealing elements and a second group of sealing elements.    
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one spunbounded polyolefin is Tyvek™ 2FS™.  
     
     
         20 . The package of  claim 18 , wherein the second group of sealing elements are positioned on the at least one joined region at an acute angle with respect to an expected direction of pull associated with peeling apart the first sheet and the second sheet.